Computer systems include a housing, often referred to as a chassis, on which the computer system's components are mounted. One such computer system is a server rack that typically includes several printed circuit boards (PCBs) to provide needed computing requirements. For example, some computer systems or servers have several PCBs to provide users with triple-play services, such as HDTV (high definition television), HDVoD (high definition voice on demand), and broadband mobility, all within one housing.
These PCBs provided in the chassis of the server rack are connected to one another and are typically powered by a single power source connector within the chassis. This power source is typically provided on a backplane. These PCBs generate a significant amount of heat, which can damage or reduce the efficiency of the PCBs. As a result, the chassis is often provided with a fan unit to remove this heat from the chassis.
The fan unit itself typically includes several fans and a circuit board to control operation of and provide power to the fans. The fan unit also includes a connector to couple the fan unit's circuit board with the backplane of the chassis to power the fan unit through the fan unit's circuit board.